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UK News

Justin Welby defends free speech in response to terror attacks, says God is big enough to deal with insults

by Will Maule

In response to the recent terror attacks in Europe, The Archbishop of Canterbury  has said that we need to "stand for free speech" and understand that God is "big enough" to deal with insults. His comments come after last month's brutal beheading of a French school teacher after the educator used caricatures of the Prophet Mohammed in a class lesson on freedom of speech.

Speaking to ITV's Good Morning Britain, Most Rev Justin Welby insisted that "religious leaders need to take responsibility for their own communities" in the wake of such tragedies.

"I've been saying that for years," he added, before noting that "we need to realize that this is a sort of spin-off a very small, tiny minority, from Islam".

Archbishop Justin went on to say that "we need to stand for freedom of speech," adding that the "Church of England was one of those organisations that that supported the abolition of the blasphemy laws". 

Adding to his argument, be explained that "if people insult God, God's big enough to deal with that," and that the Church will continue "to pray and love and serve, and allow freedom of speech, allow criticism, allow people to say what they want to say".

"I'm not frightened of freedom of speech," the archbishop insisted.

Archbishop Justin concluded by saying that it is "beyond description" when people kill in the name of attacking free speech. "That is appalling," he said. 

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